I recently wrote about how Iran has effectively captured Venezuela as a proxy state in an article / op-ed that you can find at BizPac Review or here at locals. Iran has been "gifted" a large amount of land in Venezuela; It has entered into a 20-year "partnership agreement," and it has built (and is operating) a military drone factory at a Venezuelan military base, plus providing training on how to use the multiple attack UAVs that are being built there. While this is a reason to be concerned, things escalated a bit over the weekend and have been significantly downplayed by the legacy media to the point that next to no one is even talking about it.

   This past Saturday (January 11th, 2025), during Venezuela's "International Anti-Fascist Festival" in Caracas, the socialist dictator and Iranian lapdog Nicolás Maduro threatened to invade Puerto Rico, saying,  "Just as in the north they have a colonization agenda, we have a liberation agenda." and then adding, "The freedom of Puerto Rico is pending, and we will achieve it with Brazilian troops." No matter how serious you may take this threat - sabar rattling by someone looking to position himself in the eyes of the rest of South America, impress his Iranian, Russian, and Chinese "friends," just a big mouth who had a little too much to drink before taking the stage - whatever you may think, it s a clear, open threat against an American territory. (Kudos by the way to Jenniffer González-Colón, the current governor of Puerto Rico, who had the sense to skip reaching out to the (technically-still-in-charge) Biden/Haris White House and directly wrote Trump asking the in-coming administration to "to respond to the dictator's threat."

   Meanwhile, in Western Europe, China is looking to increase its influence in Germany. Chinese officials are working on a deal that would see Chinese automakers move into German automotive factories slated for closure and are particularly interested in Volkswagen's sites. Germany has previously been greatly dependent on Russia for energy (and reports vary as to the reality of how much that has actually changed since the Ukraine conflict), but taking the word of the German government about it, Germany can ill afford to trade that out the Russian influence for Chinese influence on what is (at least for now) the largest economy in the European Union.

   The pieces continue to be moved around the board by the Axis. And while the CCP and Iran lay the groundwork for what both believe will eventually end with them individually dominating the world, the Biden/Harris administration (either by incompetence or by design) continues to make it easier for what's left of the Free World to fall. January 20th, 2025, can't get here fast enough. Say what you will about Donald Trump, but at least he is not losing a game of Chutes & Ladders when the adversaries of the United States are playing 3-D chess.

   The Islamic Republic of Iran has been a disruptive force in the Middle East since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Since the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a.k.a. the last Shah of Iran, Khomeini and his Mullahs set Iran on a course of destruction for both the modern Persian society that existed there at the time and their neighbors who did not subscribe to the Twelver Ja'afari Shia Islam imposed by Khomeini. This remains the path the theocratic Iranian regime follows today. Sunni Muslims, Christians, Jews, and anyone who exemplifies the concepts of Western Civilization remain a target of Iran or their proxies, either by open attack or terrorism.

   In recent years, Iran has decided to extend its influence beyond the Middle East, where it orchestrated attacks on Israel and Saudi Arabia and financed terror in Western Europe and piracy throughout the region. This expansion was born out of Russia's war with Ukraine. Russia found itself unable or unwilling to end the conflict quickly. Once the U.S. and most of Europe started sending "aid" and sanctioning Russia, Putin found himself in need of help from friends and frenemies alike. A new Axis (Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela) was formed as a result. An Axis that was, at least on the surface, allying with Russia against the U.S., NATO, and the Western World. Iran had been a long-standing ally of Russia, so it made sense that it would be part of this new Axis.

   A global financial partnership to end the U.S. dollar as the world reserve currency, known as the BRIC nation bloc (named for its founding members: Brazil, Russia, India, and China) was formed in 2006, had its first summit in 2009, and South Africa joined the group in 2010 leading to an official name change to BRICS. However, this group of countries was largely unsuccessful and generally ignored by the world's financial powers as it was widely seen as a not-so-veiled effort by China to become the world's dominant economy. That changed in 2024 when China and Russia (two founding members) reached out to other nations that had issues with the various disastrous foreign policies enacted by the Biden/Haris administration, and a unified global financial force was born by expanding the group to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran (not to mention a long list of countries who have expressed interest in joining: Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.) You will notice that some of these countries have been enemies for a very long time and, despite joining this group, remain adversarial, even hostile toward one another. Only the bungling of Joe Biden on the international stage brought some of these people together to work against the interests of the United States. So, "Let's Go Brandon!"

   It makes sense that Russia would want Iran to be a part of everything they are doing. As I pointed out before, they have been long-time allies due in large part to the amount of oil and lack of refining capacity in Iran. There are other reasons, but the sweetheart deal they worked out so long ago to refine oil for Iran made Russia an indispensable partner in the eyes of Mullahs and both sides rich. However, since the 1980s, there is another reason why Iran has become a valued ally of Russia. What most people don't know, despite the best efforts of people like myself who have been telling anyone who would listen for years now, is that Iran has been developing drone technology since the 1980s and is one of, if not the world leader in drone production (especially military drone production). Much of Russia's drone capabilities is a direct result of Iran.

   That takes us to the latest threat that Iran now poses. The other members of the Axis have developed an appreciation of the Iranian drone. So much so that Venezuela opened its borders to the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah, not only allowing them to operate within Venezuela but to actually "oversee" elections in some regions of the country since about 2017. Then, in 2022, Venezuela provided Iran with 1,000,000 hectares of "farmland for cultivation." Nicolás Maduro visited Tehran that year, where he signed a 20-year partnership agreement "on cooperation with Iran in various fields." It seems clear that what Iran has been "cultivating" is a new poxy state similar to Syria before the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, only this time, it's within striking distance of the United States. The IDF even warned everyone in March of 2024 that Iran was arming Venezuela with weapons that were "very capable of hitting the U.S."

   Maria Villarroel, writing for the Latin Times, revealed in her January 11, 2025, article that Iran had built a drone development factory and was training Venezuelan military personnel at the El Libertador air base in Venezuela. One of the wide range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) being produced there is the ZAMORA V-1, used for one-way attack missions. (And by the way, Iran has indicated that it intends to sell UAVs to other countries in the region, a practice that could - and most likely will - destabilize the geopolitical landscape in Latin America.)

   Iran developed its drone technology and is still developing its nuclear capabilities, making it extremely dangerous to Israel, all the Sunni Muslims, Christians, and anyone who does not share their belief in the Twelver Ja'afari Shia tradition within its reach. Iran has strengthened the so-called Red-Green Axis, as it serves its purpose of advancing their belief in the eventual worldwide caliphate. And Iran has harnessed Venezuela as a proxy under the ruthless and illegitimate rule of Nicolás Maduro. All of this happened under the watch of Joe Biden, who, instead of working to prevent it, actually helped Iran to pay for it all. That includes an additional 10 billion dollars in sanctions relief issued three days after the 2024 Presidential election. So, thanks Joe, and one more time on your way out the door, "Let's Go Brandon!"

  If you are a business leader, public speaker, content creator, or just someone tapped to give a presentation, you will need to convey a message. Your success will be judged not by the organization of your data or the passion you exude (although those are undoubtedly important) but by how well you communicate your message to the audience you find yourself attempting to connect with. The most successful communicators often adhere to a few simple rules. Rules that if you keep in mind, will allow you to add "expert communicator" to your skill set.

   The first thing to keep in mind is who your target audience is. This is not just a generic, common-sense point, but a crucial aspect of effective communication. Your audience is not just a group of people you're speaking to, but the very reason for your presentation. Understanding who they are and what they need to hear will determine the best way to deliver your message. This does not mean 'talking down' to groups you think might have trouble understanding the more technical parts of your presentation. However, crafting your message in layperson's terms may be appropriate. In most professional settings, you should avoid adopting slang or colloquialisms of groups of people that you may be addressing but that you are not a part of, as many are likely to find this inauthentic or, worse, offensive. Despite your intentions (attempt at humor, showcase an apparent divide that can be overcome, etc.), this will often end any chance you had in connecting with the audience.

   The second thing to remember when crafting your message is a direct extension of the first. It is absolutely, one hundred percent all on you, the communicator, to ensure your message lands as intended. Miscommunication and misunderstanding are always a risk. We have all heard the adage, "Think before you speak." Taking the time to plan out your message allows you the opportunity to not only spot grammatical errors but also to root out vagueness or regional turns-of-phrase that your audience may not be familiar with. When preparing, you should actively look to eliminate anything unclear. Fill in vagueness with details, and be ready to explain every figure of speech that you use by adding context. And depending on the purpose of your presentation, speech, etc., test your work with people you trust. It is possible to be too close to what you have prepared to spot this type of misstep. Simply put, personal biases are the hardest for you to see. When it is appropriate, let others help you. Regardless, avoiding miscommunication is not your audience's responsibility; it is yours.

   On the topic of personal biases, unless you are a content creator or you are writing an opinion article, you should avoid being biased as much as possible. (This is an extension of knowing your target audience.) We are all individuals, and while many of us may have similar experiences, none of us have the "same" lived experience. The thing to remember here while delivering your message is "Your Truth is not The Truth," so if you rely on your biases to convey your message, you will lose the parts of the group you are trying to reach that do not share your bias. Avoid it unless you are one hundred percent certain that, when it comes to your audience, "Your Truth is also Their Truth."  

   Lastly, never underestimate the power of storytelling. The human brain has literally evolved to use storytelling to teach lessons, share information, and better remember what we have been told. There are some circumstances where it may not be appropriate to use storytelling as a tool for delivering your message, but that is the exception, not the rule. Proper storytelling will not only reach your audience in a way that charts and graphs never will, but it will also help clarify your points, as discussed earlier.

   We could discuss hundreds of other tips and dig deep into the specifics of when to do this and why never to do that, but if you are not a communications professional, you may never need anything more than these tips. They are the most basic building blocks of effective communication, and while they may seem so obvious, all you have to do is look around just a little, and you will find multiple examples of people trying to make a point but missing the mark because they didn't follow these tips. Making an elevator pitch to investors, writing a social media post in support of your favorite political candidate, or communicating whatever to whomever, these tips will help you be more effective.